The King of Chicago

The Good
As with all Cinemaware titles, King of Chicago immerses you in the game; the idea is to lose yourself in the environment, "just like at the movies."

While the strategy sections (managing how much money to give to your mob hitmen, your girl, paying off the mayor, etc.) are simple, it makes it ideal for beginning gamers. One area where the game shines is how you manage your people--one wrong comment or remark and they could start plotting behind your back to take you out.

The graphics, even though they're 4-color CGA conversions from 32-color Amiga graphics, are excellent for the medium. The characters are well drawn, have a rich array of facial expressions, and are accented by dialogue authentic to the time period.

The Bad
The PC version is almost completely lacking sound (but then again, I had great fun imitating the voices myself ;-). The gameplay can be frustrating at times; there are supposed to be three completely different ways to win the game, but only one (the brute-force takeover) is self-evident. The strategy sections are simplistic for intermediate or advanced gamers.

The Bottom Line
King of Chicago, like all Cinemaware games, was way ahead of its time in terms of its gameplay and ideas. If you want to step into the shoes of a Chicago gangster and would-be mob boss, and you don't mind the weak strategy involved, King of Chicago is worth picking up.